John Day Fossil Beds National Monument · Oregon

Painted Hills Overlook

0.3 mi of trail, end to end · Painted Hills Overlook Trail: 0.5 mi round trip in the Service's write-up · about 90 ft of climbing · 2,087 ft–2,176 ft · gravel surface · trail class Developed · hiking

Views

Along the way Painted Hills Overlook

Trailhead Painted Hills Overlook Trailhead 2,091 ft Drive there

Painted Hills Overlook Trail 0.5 mi round trip · the Park Service's write-up

5-30 Minutes · dogs allowed

Start Painted Hills Unit

The Painted Hills Overlook Trail is 0.5 mile (0.8 km) roundtrip. This fairly level trail follows an old road and offers further distinctive views of the Painted Hills. Walking on the hills is strictly prohibited.

Accessibility The trail is 0.5 miles in total length. This dirt trail has an average width of 147.2 inches with a minimum width of 15 inches and inclines upwards. There is a wooden fence at the trailhead. There are four benches along this trail, one at the trailhead under a shady pavilion, one about 1/4 of the way up the trail, one about halfway up the trail, and one at the end of the trail. Potential hazards: Rocks, high winds, muddy after rain and snow

This hike on nps.gov

On the parks map

About this trail's facts

The lines are the National Park Service's public trails layer, the trailheads and the waterfalls, views, peaks and historic places along them the Service's public points of interest, read 2026-10-16 and simplified for the map; the length is the line's, end to end. The write-ups are the Service's own "things to do" text, unedited. Heights come from USGS 3DEP through Terrain Tiles on AWS (Mapzen/Tilezen), read along each line and rounded; a short trail on steep ground can be off by a few tens of feet. Closures change: check the park's own site before you go.